Rugby Union, which is played in 105 countries around the world, has already been played in Brunei since the 1950s. According to the archives of the Royal Brunei Yacht Club, a "Town Rugby Football Team" played a team from the Seria district in 1957. In the mid 1970s, rugby in Brunei grew in popularity with the influx of expatriates from Britain and active participation from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), Brunei Shell Recreation Club, Royal Brunei Yacht Club, the Panaga Club and the British Garrison in Seria.

A domestic competition took place from 1978 to 1993, involving regular teams from the Panaga Club, the Royal Brunei Yacht Club, the British Garrison, the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, the Royal Brunei Police and Pirates RFC.

Numerous clubs also organised Rugby sevens and tens competitions from time to time, but the large number of British and Commonwealth expatriates leaving the sultanate in the late 1990s led to a decline in the number of such tournaments.

Brunei was one of the countries that hosted the annual Asian Rugby Seven Series in 2009. It was a 2-day event set on the 24th and 25 October at the Hassanal Bolkiah stadium. The Brunei Rugby Football Union (BRFU) have been given a contract to host annual Brunei Sevens rugby tournaments for four years.[1]